Ghosts of My Past
by Rose Tyler-Smith
Summary: This is basically my take on the 11th Doctor's adventures with his companion, played by Karen Gillan, who isn't all that she appears to be as the Doctor is swept up in a journey that will cause his past, present and future to collide.


**DISCLAIMER: The BBC owns all of Doctor Who! Me, I own nothing except the DVDs!**

**Prologue**

The Doctor stumbled out of the blue police box situated in the centre of a field compiled of willowy grass which rippled in the wind. Clutching at his abdomen he persisted to stagger through the long grass, unsure where he was, his brown eyes searching for a sign of life in this seemingly deserted landscape. This was his first regeneration without a companion by his side, a friendly face to greet his unfamiliar one. As that thought crossed his bewildered mind, he wondered instantly and rather vainly what he looked like, having not been able to catch a glimpse of his new self, be it in a mirror or a shiny utensil. _Am I ginger? _He wondered almost instinctively, as he reached a shaky hand up to pluck a strand of hair from the top of his head.

"Ow," he muttered reflexively, as he cursed under his breath at the brief but irritating surge of pain that shot through his skull, "Damn it!" He exclaimed as he finally focused himself long enough to examine the thread of _brunette _hair that was held between his thumb and forefinger, "Brown hair, _again_!" he added in a moan, as he allowed the strand to flutter away in the gentle breeze.

He blinked his eyes several times as he tried to improve his hazy, somewhat impaired vision, when he saw a blonde girl only a few metres into the distance, her back facing him. Feeling his hearts skip several beats at another sign of life in this desolate place, he ran, somewhat lopsidedly, to the person who couldn't have been more than twenty and of human origin. With no mode of transport in sight, the Doctor wondered how she had come this far out into this barren land, but that thought was only second nature, the desire to seek help, in his time of need, a more dominant matter in his mind.

"Excuse me…?" he gasped, his voice hoarse, void of saliva as he approached the girl and reached out a tentative hand to tug at the sleeve of her blue jacket.

"I-I love you," was the rather random yet tearful response, as the girl whirled around at the slightest of touch to reveal herself as Rose Tyler, or at least a hallucination of her.

The Doctor doubled back, startled, but the image faded into nothingness before he could get a chance to truly examine it. Shaking his head to rid himself of the callous reminder of all he'd lost, he turned on his heel to search for a road, his mind too disorientated to remember the TARDIS controls and his immense curiosity gripping him enough to spur him onwards. He had walked a couple of feet when suddenly he felt a hand slide into his, the body behind it tense as though they were about to run for their lives. He glanced to his left, to see the form of Donna Noble, her ginger curls tumbling down her back.

"I was gonna be with you _forever_," she whispered, echoing a section of their final conversation before his tenth incarnation had wiped her memories. And then she was gone, too, just like Rose, his fingers curled around air.

His hands flew to his temples as a headache split through his brain and suddenly he was surrounded with familiar faces, all of whom he had thought he would never see again. All was silent for a few minutes as he marvelled in their unexpected arrival, knowing in his hearts that they weren't really here, but enjoying allowing his brain into deluding him that they were here, every single one of them. And then they started shouting at him, each trying to be heard over the other creating a deafening din.

"Call me Fred!" he heard Romana demand snappishly over the rest.

"Professor?!" Ace yelled from somewhere amongst the huddle enclosed around him.

"The evil one!" Leela accused in a hiss, much like they did in their first meeting when he was in his fourth incarnation.

The rest where just a muddle, incomprehensible noise, each one fading mutely into nothingness, the minute they had said what they needed to, until finally there was only one person left. The Doctor fell to his knees amongst the long grass, the final person standing over him; she was leaning in towards him, a smile gracing her lips. She looked exactly the same as she did when he had first left her.

"Oh, grandfather!" Susan chided, running her hand through her short, black hair in exasperation, and all too soon she faded to, his arm actually outstretched towards her willing her to be reality, even willing to give the others up as figments of his imagination, just so long as _she _was real.

However despite the fact this image dimmed out of sight, a figure, distinctly feminine, still stood over him, her youthful face a mask of anxiety. Although it was clear, disappointingly clear, that this wasn't the girl, the Doctor was hoping to see as the cropped, black hair was replaced with longer ginger tresses which hung around her face.

"Connor!" this girl yelled at an unseen person, "I'm gonna need some help over here!" she continued relentlessly, before her expression softened and she knelt down beside the Doctor, "It's all going to be OK, Doctor, it's all going to be OK."

Then the Time Lord, the legendary Doctor, the famous and infamous Oncoming Storm allowed sleep to claim him.

**So what did you think? Drop me a review on your way out! **


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